BAUERNLEBEN- the FEFI camping guide in Austria
Stay on Austria's idyllic farmsCorona hit us hard in 2020 and for quite a while we all did not know what to do with ourselves as the whole world literally stopped. And while many were baking banana bread and finally clearing out that one cupboard full of clutter, Franz Roitner and his partner Gudrun used the time productively and brought the French "formule invitations" to their home country of Austria. We talked to Franz about the FEFI pitch guide BAUERNLEBEN.
How it began
A Corona project all grown upFor some of the founders it was France Passion, for others Landvergnügen was the deciding factor to establish formule invitations in their country as well. For the founder Franz Roitner and his partner Gudrun, it was the German version that fascinated the couple. Actually, they only wanted to test a certain motorhome for a holiday, not knowing yet that they would get to know Landvergnügen and be inspired to start their own business.
With the book and the accompanying app, they then spent a week on the road in Baden-Württemberg and were thrilled by the many impressions on the different farms. Since the concept did not yet exist in Austria, they wanted to get to start working on this project as soon as possible, but at the time they were too involved in their everyday lives and other projects.
This changed in April 2020, when we all had more than enough free time at Lockdown. Franz and Gudrun used the time and were productive, they started talking to farmers and vintners and managed to convince many to become hosts. Just four months later, the first issue of BAUERNLEBEN was published and the Corona project developed into a whole new pillar of the Austrian camping scene.
The Team
Full family competenceBAUERNLEBEN functions more or less like a family business. Gudrun is a trained bookseller and looks after the now over 500 hosts as well as the entire content of BAUERNLEBEN. Melanie, Franz's niece, takes care of the dispatch of the books. Number 3 of the team is Franz, who grew up on a farm and, as a camper van owner, knows both the guest and host side of the concept. He is responsible for the marketing and further development of BAUERNLEBEN. As managing director of Roitner Media GmbH, where Gudrun has also been an active supporter for 10 years, he also creates and markets Genuss Stellplatz 2023, another Austrian guide to pitches that focuses on hospitality businesses in Austria.
How it works
In the annual BAUERNLEBEN magazines, more than 500 farms and wineries invite motorhome drivers to spend 1 night free of charge on the farm's premises. As a guest, this allows you to enjoy interesting localities and buy food in the farm shop - directly from the farmer. Through tastings or farm tours, one also gets to know the producers of real food and supports Austria's regional farming community. The meeting of guest and host as well as the unique opportunity to get to know and taste agricultural products directly at the source is what makes the concept of BAUERNLEBEN and all other camping guides of the FEFI network so unique.
BAUERNLEBEN is published annually in March in book form, which allows you to browse and discover interesting farms while preparing your trip, e.g. the wealth of information on the host farm, what is produced and how, and which products are sold in the farm shop. The focus is on what the farm has to offer, which is also the core of BAUERNLEBEN.
Since February 2021, the free BAUERNLEBEN app has been available to accompany the guide. All the information in the book can thus also be accessed digitally. The pitch guide costs €39.90 and allows users to use all pitches free of charge for one year.
BAUERNLEBEN's future plans
As of November 2022, BAUERNLEBEN presents over 520 hosts on farms and estates. In the future, they want to remain the largest provider in Austria and continuously expand the offer. In addition to the further development of the book and app, Franz and Gudrun have many more ideas, but don't want to get specific here yet. So we are looking forward to the future of BAUERNLEBEN!
Summary
Now that's what we call time well spent! In just over 2 years, BAUERNLEBEN has established itself in Austria and is an important part of the FEFI network. With the passion and dedication of Franz and Gudrun, many more unforgettable holiday experiences are sure to be created in the future.
